A subsample may be: (a) a portion of the sample obtained by selection or division; (b) an individual unit of the lot taken as part of the sample; (c) the final unit of multistage sampling. The term 'subsample' is used either in the sense of a 'sample of a sample' or as a synonym for 'unit'. In practice, the meaning is usually apparent from the context or is defined.
Source:
PAC, 1990, 62, 1193. 'Nomenclature for sampling in analytical chemistry (Recommendations 1990)' on page 1205 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199062061193)